NASA | MSFC | SAO | Chandra X-ray Observatory | 2015 Nov 23
[img3="Cheshire Cat - Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/UA/J.Irwin et al; Optical: NASA/STScI"]http://chandra.si.edu/photo/2015/cheshi ... at_w11.jpg[/img3][hr][/hr]One hundred years ago this month, Albert Einstein published his theory of general relativity, one of the most important scientific achievements in the last century.
A key result of Einstein's theory is that matter warps space-time, and thus a massive object can cause an observable bending of light from a background object. The first success of the theory was the observation, during a solar eclipse, that light from a distant background star was deflected by the predicted amount as it passed near the Sun.
Astronomers have since found many examples of this phenomenon, known as "gravitational lensing." More than just a cosmic illusion, gravitational lensing provides astronomers with a way of probing extremely distant galaxies and groups of galaxies in ways that would otherwise be impossible even with the most powerful telescopes.
The latest results from the "Cheshire Cat" group of galaxies show how manifestations of Einstein's 100-year-old theory can lead to new discoveries today. Astronomers have given the group this name because of the smiling cat-like appearance. Some of the feline features are actually distant galaxies whose light has been stretched and bent by the large amounts of mass, most of which is in the form of dark matter detectable only through its gravitational effect, found in the system. ...
The Cheshire Cat Gravitational Lens: The Formation of a Massive Fossil Group - Jimmy A. Irwin et al
- Astrophysical Journal 806(2):268 (2015 Jun 20) DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/806/2/268
arXiv.org > astro-ph > arXiv:1505.05501 > 19 May 2015